A UNIQUE event commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War was held at Llandrindod Wells on Sunday evening, entitled ‘The War is Over’.
The core of the ceremony was devised by the Queen’s Pageantmaster Bruno Peek, namely The Last Post, ringing church bells and the town crier’s ‘A Cry for Peace’.
These were repeated nationwide by over 140 Town Criers, also spreading worldwide, starting early on Sunday morning in New Zealand, moving on to Australia and around the rest of the world in their time zones. The service in Llandrindod Wells, which saw a few hundred people attend, was led by the Town Crier Janet Swindale.
The evening commemoration event in the town Gardens in the shadow of the cenotaph saw the two local school children’s choirs from Ysgol Trefonnen Church in Wales Primary School and Cefnllys Primary School give rousing renditions of some of the old time favourites. Whilst the children sang the town mayor Councillor Jon Williams, who made all the wooden crosses in the memorial gardens, lit the first of the tea lights in front of the crosses after which Jane Stevens from the the U3a and Wendy Isles from the Pales Peace Choir went on to light more of the tea lights in the gardens.
Following the lighting of the lights Sarah Freeman and Darcy Morgan played the last post whilst Mike Phillips with the Royal British Legion standard lowered it in memory of the millions who were lost during WW1. Also at this stage the Church Bells from Holy Trinity rang out across the town with a period of quietness and reflection. Further tea lights were lit by Kim Nicholls with guides from 1st Maelog Guides having decorated their own jars. More tea lights were lit by Helen Jones from the 1st Llandrindod Scouts.
To concluded the ceremony members of the U3A singers sang together with the Pales Peace Choir.
For the event hundreds of people turned out despite the rain that overshadowed part of the celebrations and Janet Swindale thanked all those that had helped and participated during the evening.